


All These Things I've Done

by torigates



Category: Freaks and Geeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-03
Updated: 2009-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 12:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was weird being back home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All These Things I've Done

 

 

  
Lindsay sighed. She had been waiting for almost half an hour now, and there was still no sign of her dad or Sam.

Her mom had promised that someone would be at the bus stop to pick her up. Yet Lindsay had watched all the other passengers greet their loved ones and leave, until eventually she was the only one left.

Finally Sam pulled up. She threw her bag in the back, and climbed into the passenger seat.

“Dad’s letting you drive alone now, huh?” she asked.

“Shut up,” he chuckled. “It’s your fault he’s so paranoid. _I’ve_ never crashed the car.”

She smacked his arm. “How’s senior year treating you so far?” she asked.

Sam shrugged. Lindsay took that to mean it was still horrible, but not as horrible as things once had been.

Lindsay nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence.

It was weird being back home.

Lindsay loved university. No one cared what you did or thought of you as a freak. She could be smart, but still have a life. Go to her classes and get high or drunk. Hang out with boys as friends or more. She could be herself. She was _comfortable_ with herself.

After three years away from her family, only visiting on holidays and during the summer, Lindsay didn’t really consider Michigan her home anymore. Not the way she used to. She wasn’t the same person any more.

When they arrived at the house, their parents greeted them at the door. Her mom made a fuss about Lindsay being home, just like she always did and her dad looked happy to see her, yet somehow completely seriousat the same time.

“You look too skinny,” Jean said. “Lindsay, you’re not eating enough.”

Three years ago that kind of comment would have made Lindsay roll her eyes, or make some sort of snotty retort, but not now. She hugged her mom. “I eat, mom. You just worry too much.”

Her dad stood in the entry way. “How are your studies going?” he asked.

“They’re fine, dad.”

He nodded.

Later, when they all sat down to dinner, Lindsay couldn’t help but notice how completely _the same_ everything was. It was just like being back in high school, being in her house eating dinner with her family.

Afterward she called Kim.

Lindsay and Kim had kept in touch, even though Lindsay was almost never home. They sometimes talked on the phone, or Kim would come out to visit her, and they would hang out whenever Lindsay was home.

No matter how much time they spent apart, they were always able to pick up their friendship like no time had passed. That was the great thing about them.

“Hey,” Lindsay said.

“Hey, loser,” Kim replied. “You finally decided to come for a visit. I was getting worried about you becoming a stuck up bitch.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Lindsay said. “I missed you too.”

Kim snorted. “Whatever, are we going to hang out tonight or what?”

“We are if you come pick me up,” Lindsay said with a smirk.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Kim asked.

The line went dead before Lindsay could reply. She knew that meant Kim would be at her house in fifteen minutes.

Lindsay saw the car pull up and yelled goodbye to her parents before she was out the door.

“I hate being twenty,” Kim said.

“Hello to you too,” Lindsay replied.

Kim rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. There’s nothing to do.”

“That’s why you have the pleasure of my company,” Lindsay said.

“Shut up,” Kim told her. “You’re so lame.”

Lindsay smiled but didn’t respond. “There must be something we can do.”

“Well, there isn’t. I’m the one who lives here, so I would know.”

Lindsay rolled her eyes. Kim was always complaining about how bored she was.

The conversation continued, neither girl able to come up with a suggestion they could agree on. Mostly it consisted of Lindsay suggesting things and Kim shutting them sown as ‘lame.’

“Can we at least stop at this gas station?” Lindsay asked. “I’m thirsty.”

Kim sighed but agreed.

“How’re things with you and Daniel?” Lindsay asked.

“Don’t talk to me about that asshole,” Kim said.

Lindsay knew she shouldn’t be surprised at the outburst, but the last time they had spoken, things had been going well between Kim and Daniel.

“What happened?” Lindsay asked.

Kim shook her head. “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Lindsay knew better than to push. Kim would tell her eventually.

“I’m getting a soda, do you want something?” she asked instead.

“Only if you’re paying,” Kim retorted.

Lindsay rolled her eyes but nodded, and jogged off towards the store.

“Hurry!” Kim shouted.

“Shut up!” Lindsay yelled back at her over her shoulder. Without looking where she was going, she promptly bumped into someone.

“Oh, I’m so sorry – ” she started, not looking up.

“Lindsay?” a familiar voice asked.

Lindsay looked up into a pair of brown eyes and a curly mop of hair. “Nick!” she exclaimed.

Behind her, she could hear Kim laughing hysterically. Lindsay was going to kill Kim.

Lindsay had spoken with Nick only a few times since high school. He and Sarah had dated through most of their senior year, and Lindsay hadn’t wanted to spend a lot of time with them. The few times she had been home since university, she hand mostly spent her time with her family or Kim.

Kim continually nagged her throughout their senior year about her relationship with Nick, and Lindsay told her over and over again there was nothing there anymore. Every time Kim would roll her eyes.

“I didn’t know you were home,” Nick said, drawing her back into the present.

Lindsay looked down, avoiding his gaze. “Just visiting,” she said.

“How’re things?”

Lindsay nodded. “They’re great,” she said. “You?”

“Good,” he said. “Things are good.”

Lindsay smiled, “That’s great, Nick.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but Kim honked her horn.

“Come on, Lindsay!” she shouted.

Lindsay ducked her head awkwardly. “I better go,” she said.

He nodded. “Right.”

“I’ll see you around,” she said taking a few steps towards the store.

“Lindsay.”

“Yes?” she asked turning.

“Do you want to go out tomorrow?” he asked.

Lindsay hesitated.

“You know, to catch up,” he continued.

“All right,” she agreed.

Nick grinned. “Great,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“ _What_ was that about?” Kim asked when Lindsay got back into the car.

She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “We’re going to hang out tomorrow.” Kim looked at her. “As _friends_.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself,” Kim said.

 

 

 

Lindsay was in her room when she heard the doorbell ring. She heard someone answer it and voices drifted up from downstairs.

“Nick!” her mother exclaimed.

“Hi, Mrs. Weir,” he said. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Hey, Nick,” Lindsay said coming down the stairs.

Nick looked up and smiled at her. Lindsay was struck by how handsome he was. He looked the same as when they were dating, but older. More mature.

“You look great,” he told her.

“You too.”

They said goodbye to her mother and were out the door.

“So where to?” she asked.

“I thought we could go for a walk,” he said.

She nodded. “That sounds great.”

The headed down the street. “How have you been?” she asked after a moment. “It’s been a while.”

Nick chuckled. “I’ve been good. I’m going to college.”

She stopped and looked at him. “Nick, that’s amazing. I didn’t know that.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s great. I’m working part time at a garage to help pay for it.”

“Are you still playing drums?” she asked.

A slow smile spread over his face. “Yeah,” he said.

“That’s amazing, Nick. I always knew you could do it.”

He nodded again. “I know. You always believed in me.”

They stood silently for a few moments, and eventually Lindsay looked away and started walking again.

“How’s school?” he asked.

“It’s good,” she said. “Great.” She was quiet a moment. “It’s math,” she said and felt herself blush a little. She wasn’t sure why.

Nick laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me,” he told her. “I bet you’re amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said ducking her head.

They walked on, chatting about different things. Lindsay told him about her freshman roommate, who didn’t know how to do laundry and was too embarrassed to ask, so she would wear her clothes until they smelled so bad, Lindsay had to show her what to do. He told her about the band he had joined.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Lindsay shook her head, blushing again. “Not right now.” She wanted to ask him the same question, but she couldn’t get the words to form in her mouth.

“Listen,” Nick started. “I wanted to see you for a reason.”

Lindsay still couldn’t get her mouth to work.

“I wanted to thank you,” he said.

That… wasn’t what Lindsay was expecting. “Thank me?”

He nodded. “You were the first person who believed I could actually do something with my life, that I wasn’t just a waste of space.”

“Nick…” she said.

“No, it’s true. You pushed me to be more than just a stoner, going nowhere in life. I’m where I am today because of you.”

Lindsay shook her head. “That’s not true, Nick. You would have done it for yourself.”

He took her wrist in his hand. “No,” he said simply. “It was you.”

Lindsay looked down at her their hands. “I’m sorry for the way things happened between us,” she said. “You know, at the end.”

He put his other hand on her chin, making her look up at him. “We were both stupid back then. I’m surprised I didn’t send you running earlier.”

“I won’t say it wasn’t a bit… much,” she told him. Nick laughed. “But I had a lot of feelings for you too. I just didn’t know what to do about them.”

“Me either,” he agreed.

They stood silently for a long time. “Are we good now?” he asked.

Lindsay smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “We have been for a while now.”

“Good,” Nick said, and hugged her.

Lindsay thought back to the first time they kissed. She had done it because he had been so down on himself, because she wanted to make him feel better, because she had liked him a lot. Only one of those were good reasons to kiss a person.

Things were different now. Maybe things weren’t completely right, but they _could_ be.

She looked up at him and he leaned down to meet her halfway.

 

 

 

She called Kim later that night.

“I _knew_ it!” she exclaimed before Lindsay had a chance to say anything.

Lindsay shook her head and laughed. 


End file.
